North Pier Apartments facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 474 North Lake Shore Drive |
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| General information | |
| Type | Residential |
| Location | 474 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41°53′27″N 87°36′53″W / 41.8908°N 87.6146°W |
| Completed | 1990 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 581 ft (177 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 61 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Dubin Dubin Black and Moutoussamy |
Imagine a really tall building in Chicago, Illinois! The building known as 474 North Lake Shore Drive is one of them. It used to be called the North Pier Apartments. This huge skyscraper stands 581 feet (177 meters) high and has 61 floors. It was finished in 1990.
A company called Dubin Dubin Black and Moutoussamy designed this impressive building. When it was built, it was one of the tallest buildings in Chicago. It was also the tallest building covered in special precast concrete panels.
The outside of the building looks very interesting. It has dark gray, maroon, and pink panels arranged in a cool, abstract pattern. The building got its first name, North Pier Apartments, because it's close to a long building called North Pier along the Ogden Slip waterway.
Contents
Building History and Design
This tall building was completed in 1990. It quickly became known for its unique look. The architects who designed it wanted it to look strong and bold. They even described it as a "masculine counterpart" to the curvy Lake Point Tower nearby.
Renaming the Building
For many years, the building was known as the North Pier Apartment Tower. In 2005, something big changed. The building was converted into condominiums. This means that instead of renting apartments, people could buy them as their own homes. When this happened, the building was officially renamed "474 North Lake Shore Drive."
What is a Skyscraper?
A skyscraper is a very tall, continuous habitable building. These buildings are often found in big cities. They are designed to hold many people or businesses in a small area. Skyscrapers use strong materials like steel and concrete. They also have many floors, often more than 40 or 50.
How Tall is 581 Feet?
To help you imagine how tall 581 feet (177 meters) is, think about this:
- It's taller than 50 school buses stacked on top of each other.
- It's almost as tall as two football fields placed end-to-end.
- It's about half the height of the Eiffel Tower in Paris!
